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I love simplicity and elegance in glassware. I no longer wish to have a set of Riedels for every single grape varietal. So, even though I love them, I'm not buying anymore as they're taking up too much storage space. Instead, I'm buying these:

Well, I wouldn't call the glasses 'customs'. They are ordered directly from the factory in Austria, but the design has remained the same since 1917. Lobmeyr is a famous glass maker, and they have probably made most of the chandeliers for the palaces throughout Europe and even the chandelier at the Kennedy Center in DC.

The glasses were spendy at $150 per stem, but I bought them for when I was going to propose to my wife. I missed that by a long shot. Then they didn't even make it for the wedding. I did, however, have them for my first anniversary.

As for wine, I like Luigi Bormioli and Spieglau. I used to like Riedel, but it seemed like they got a bit 'thin'. But Riedel owns Spieglau anyhow, so it doesn't make that much difference I guess.

For regular water drinking, gins and tonic, etc. I like the tinted Kaj Franck Kartio glasses by iitala. And for shots, ports and other sweet stuff, I use some vintage etched art deco cordial glasses.

Spiegelau actually got thicker after Riedel purchased them. I have 3 sets of Spiegelau glasses; most of the ones I bought prior to Riedel's purchase were thin and fragile - most of the pre-Riedel purchase glasses I had broke because they were so fragile. The newer Spiegelau glasses are noticeably thicker. Also, the older Spiegelau glasses had cut rims; post-Riedel have rolled rims.

I actually like the Riedel Vinum XL Pinot Noir glass. Not cheap, but durable, and it has a large bowl for all kinds of red wine, a nice tapered shape and wide base so it's stable.

The Vino Grande Bordeaux glasses that I bought most recently - several years ago - do not have cut rims. I may have misspoke when calling them "rolled rims." According to Amazon, they're polished. http://www.amazon.com/Spiegelau-Vino...ref=pd_sim_k15 Nonetheless, they're definitely not the flat cut rim of the older glasses. I agree - they suck now compared to before. I also have the young red wine/chardonnay (?) glasses and white wine glasses as well. I don't recall if they have cut rims though.

Unfortunately, the prices have also gone up and are now just a hair below Riedel's lower lines of glasses. I know a few wine shops that no longer carry Spiegelau and have switched over to Schott Zweisel.

I have some Spiegelau glasses, but I'm not much of a wine drinker, lots of random pint glasses for beer, & tiki mugs for everything-beer, water, tea. I also have some vintage plastic Slurpee cups, my DH doesn't understand why I don't toss them, but when a big ass black lab jumps on you, & sends your drink flying across the room, you understand...